Which place is cheaper, Rapid City or Ponce?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ponce or Rapid City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Ponce and Rapid City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Ponce or Rapid City?
Ponce
Ponce is on the south coast of Puerto Rico. It's the second largest city on the island and has been around since 1692 when it was originally founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de Leon y Loayza. The city has several nicknames, including La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South), La Ciudad Senorial (The Noble, or Lordly, City), and La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City).
Rapid City
Rapid City is a large city in western South Dakota that is considered the gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. Rapid City is often used as a base for all types of outdoor activities, including tours to the infamous Mount Rushmore and surrounding parks. The city has a budding art scene and offers the perfect combination of a metropolitan city surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Rapid City experiences the best weather from June-September with temperatures in the 70's and 80's Fahrenheit. Temperatures drop to the low 20's F in the winter and the area receives the most rain pour in April and May.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage, and The Best 2-Week Tours from San Francisco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPonce $205Rapid City $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Ponce is $205, while the average daily cost in Rapid City is $116. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Ponce and Rapid City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPonce $151Rapid City $60
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPonce $302Rapid City $120
Compare Hotels in Ponce and Rapid City
Looking for a hotel in Ponce or Rapid City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Rapid City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ponce $10Rapid City $53
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ponce
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ponce:
- Vega Baja to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $170
- Transfer TO or FROM: Airport,Cruise,Hotel in DORADO or RIO GRANDE: $70
- Transfer SJU Airport to Humacao and Nagüabo. Vice Versa One Way Trip: $185
- Single ATV Adventure: Private Hacienda Experience with Transfer: $189
- San juan Puerto Rico PrivateTransfers Airport,Hotels,Cruise Ports: $60
- San Juan hotels to San Juan PR Cruise Port - Departure Transfer: $46
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $92
- San Juan Puerto Rico Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan Port to San Juan Airport (SJU) - Departure Private Transfer: $46
- San Juan PR Cruise Port to San Juan hotels - Arrival Transfer: $46
- San Juan Departure Share Transfer: $27
- San Juan Airport (SJU) to San Juan hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $92
Is it cheaper to fly into Ponce or Rapid City?
Prices for flights to both Rapid City and Ponce change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPonce $35Rapid City $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ponce
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ponce.
- Private Cooking Class with a Fun Local in San German, Puerto Rico: $96
- Private Half-Day Food Tour : $130
- Private San Juan Cooking Class with a Local Expert: $146
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Roller Coaster Tickets with Dinner and Show in Rapid City: $70
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ponce $56Rapid City $26
Tours and Activities in Ponce
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Ponce are as follows:
- Half-Day El Yunque Rainforest Tour from Fajardo: $65
- Scuba Boat Diving Experience in Gilligan's Island at Copamarina: $160
- 1 Hour Historical UTV Tour in San Juan: $200
- 2-Hour Private UTV Can-Am Beach Tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico: $264
- 2.5-Hour Historical Walking Tour of Old San Juan: $65
- 5 hours Tour in La Parguera Private Boat Charter: $200
- 7 Hours River Tour with Beach and Learn to Make Piña Colada : $195
- 90 Minute Portrait Photoshoot Experience in the Caribbean: $129
- ATV Adventure at Hacienda Campo Rico: $136
- Adventure Trail Tour in the foothills of the National Rainforest: $110
- Afro-Boriken-Loiza: Food, Cave & Art Tour: $140
- All Inclusive Cordillera Cay’s Sailing Catamaran Beach & Snorkeling Tour: $150
Tours and Activities in Rapid City
For Rapid City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour: $15
- Black Hills & Badlands: Self-Guided Audio Driving Tours: $20
- Bus Tour of Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills: $133
- Mount Rushmore and Black Hills Tour with Two Meals and a Music Variety Show: $164
- Badlands Winter Wonderland Adventure: $239
- Full-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in South Dakota: $275
- NEW! Half Day Tour of the Black Hills: $289
- Badlands Sunset and Wildlife Adventure : $289
- From Private Spearfish Canyon Tour: $650
- From Private Devils Tower Tour and Hike: $650
- Private Black Hills Monuments Full-Day Tour: $650
- Badlands National Park Private Tour: $650
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPonce $16Rapid City $6.93
Sample the Local Flavors in Ponce
Also in Ponce, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Artisan Puertorrican Winery and Distillery Tour: $50
- Old San Juan Bar Crawl: Experience Local Hotspots: $65
- Local Puerto Rican Rum Distillery Tour - Ron Pepon: $90
- Rum Distillery and Old San Juan Tour: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ponce and Rapid City, we can see that Ponce is more expensive. And not only is Rapid City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ponce is in Caribbean Islands and Rapid City is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Rapid City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Rapid City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Ponce would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ponce than you might in Rapid City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ponce Expensive? and Is Rapid City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ponce or Rapid City?
Ponce has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Rapid City. When comparing the sizes of Ponce and Rapid City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.